Focus Magazine - Fall 2014 - (Page 54)
5 QUESTIONS
Kevin Kruse
5 Questions With...
DJ Mitsch
C
oaching plays an important role in the
ongoing development of sales
professionals, and engagement plays a
big part in making coaching successful. In an
ever-changing industry and profession, it's
important to capture the hearts, minds and
attention of our teams.
I recently spoke with DJ Mitsch, founder of
Pyramid Resource Group and the author of
several books, including From Zombies to
Zealots - It's Time to Come Back to Life at
Work! about engagement issues.
DJ Mitsch,
founder of Pyramid
Resource Group
and author of
From Zombies to
Zealots - It's Time
to Come Back to
Life at Work!
Kevin Kruse (KK): According to recent
workforce research, 70 percent of
Americans are disengaged at work. Can
that sad story be turned around?
DJ Mitsch (DJ): Yes! There are two primary
reasons people become disengaged: They
dislike the boss, or they have settled for a
job that is not a good fit - too small for
their soul or feels pointless. Where to
start a new story? Get real about what
you can control. A successful retiring
executive recently said, "I taught my kids
and employees to see each job as an
investment that will pay off in one of three
ways: 1) Emotionally - you gain
satisfaction by doing something
meaningful; 2) Financially - The reward is
great enough to support your lifestyle; or
3) Education - you become the student so
this job is the classroom that helps you
advance. Ideally, you would have all three.
If you don't have at least one of these, you
have the choice to leave. Take it."
KK: How can leaders address this employee
engagement challenge quickly to gain a
competitive advantage?
DJ: "Listen!" Conduct listening sessions in
small groups with all employees. Ask this
question, "What needs to change for you
to feel fully alive at the end of the
workday?"
KK: Is it possible to have people really become
and stay zealously enthusiastic?
DJ: No one is born a zombie. Happiness is a
natural state of mind and it is an inner
game at work. The first step may be a
savings plan for financial freedom and
spending a few hours a week learning a
new skill or working in service to a
community that will provide more
meaning. Everyone can dream up an
aspiration and align their work to that!
KK: If we gave people a magic wand to help
them stay engaged, what do you think
they would change first?
DJ: They would first change how we lead our
lives and orient careers around a noble
cause. Life sciences companies are sincere
about helping patients enjoy their lives,
breathe easier and live longer. They need
the same mission for their teams.
KK: What are good leaders getting right?
DJ: They are self aware and they care! They
listen for the heart of the matter and they
regard people as colleagues on the path -
all human, all imperfect and all learning.
They turn complaints into requests for
people to speak their minds, so they build
trust. They also pay attention to what
people are dying to contribute and make
ways for everyone to take leadership. They
give people credit and are enthusiastic
without apology. They become the zealot
leaders others willingly follow! I
Kevin Kruse is executive director of LTEN and co-author of the New York Times best-seller, We: How to Increase
Performance and Proļ¬ts through Full Engagement. Email Kevin at kkruse@L-TEN.org.
54
FOCUS | FALL 2014 | www.L-TEN.org
http://www.L-TEN.org
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Focus Magazine - Fall 2014
Focus Magazine
From the President: Recognizing Value (and Vice Versa)
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Guest Editor: On the Cutting Edge of Training and Technology
Front of the Room: The Presenter's Burden
Neuroscience: Learning, Disrupted
LTEN Conference Wrap-Up
Creating a Foundation for Innovation Training
The Science of Learning: Improving How We Train
Sustaining Learning, Driving Results
Member Solutions: Training the Tenured
Podcasts: Delivering Information and Inspiration
Leader-Led Learning: Developing Capabilities
The Power of Virtual Coaching and Mobile Video
Diving into Product Launches
Virtual How: Onboarding Training Programs
Member News
Ad Index
Focus Contacts
5 Questions with DJ Mitsch
Focus Magazine - Fall 2014
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